And just like that, the 2023 NFL Draft is in the books. Per usual, it was a wild and unexpected ride, starting with all the Round 1 action. Day 2 and Day 3 delivered surprises of their own. Some teams capitalized on the opportunity, while others came up short. Let’s take a look at the 2023 NFL Draft recap, analysis, and grades for the New York Jets. NFL Draft analysts Andrew Erickson and Thor Nystrom combine to provide their thoughts below.
- NFL Draft Grades for Every Team
- Thor’s Draft Grades (AFC | NFC)
- NFL Draft Day 1 Winners & Losers (Day 2 | Day 3)
- Fitz’s Round 1 NFL Draft Picks: Dynasty Rookie Draft Outlook (Day 2 | Day 3)
- Latest Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft
2023 NFL Draft Recap, Analysis & Grades: New York Jets
NFL Draft analysts Andrew Erickson and Thor Nystrom combine to provide their thoughts below.
Thor Nystrom’s Overview & Grades
New York Jets | Draft Grade: D+
| Pick | Team | Position | Rank | Name | School | Comp |
| 15 | Jets | ED7 | 32 | Will McDonald IV | Iowa State | Julian Peterson |
| 43 | Jets | OL6 | 49 | Joe Tippmann | Wisconsin | Josh Myers |
| 120 | Jets | OT13 | 128 | Carter Warren | Pittsburgh | Cedric Ogbuehi |
| 143 | Jets | RB8 | 117 | Israel Abanikanda | Pittsburgh | Tevin Coleman |
| 184 | Jets | LB33 | 348 | Zaire Barnes | Western Michigan | Baylon Spector |
| 204 | Jets | CB37 | 279 | Jarrick Bernard-Converse | LSU | Dallis Flowers |
| 220 | Jets | TE7 | 85 | Zack Kuntz | Old Dominion | Mike Gesecki |
The Jets’ Draft Weekend started a few days early when they surrendered No. 42, No. 207, a conditional 2024 second-round pick, and a first-round pick swap with the Packers for Aaron Rodgers (and No. 170). The 2024 selection will become a first-rounder unless Rodgers plays less than 65% of New York’s snaps next year.
I didn’t like that trade. But that’s not included in this grade.
McDonald is a very fun edge-rushing prospect. Undersized but long-levered and souped-up, he was a disruptive force in the Big 12. I just question the value at No. 15 when guys like Myles Murphy and Nolan Smith didn’t go until No. 28 and No. 30, respectively.
New York’s best pick of the weekend was TE Zack Kuntz at No. 220. Kuntz is a historically-freaky athlete who was only available where he was because of context. He was a four-star recruit who got stuck behind Pat Freiermuth on the depth chart at Penn State out of high school. Kuntz transferred to former PSU OC Ricky Rahne’s program at Old Dominion and was an unfair assignment for G5 defenders, posting a 73-692-5 receiving line during his breakout 2021 campaign.
But Kuntz suffered a season-ending knee injury in early October, which limited his film and exposure. I expect him to surprise. Rodgers loves targets like this.
Andrew Erickson’s Overview & Grades
Maybe a slight reach for the Jets, but outside the top-15, Will McDonald was still a top 1st-round pick product. The Jets don’t get an A after Round 1 because they still need to address the offensive line after falling victim to a Patriots-Steelers trade knocking them out of the top tackle market. Classic Patriots.
Gang Green added a center to fill a massive hole on their roster in Round 2, with Wisconsin’s Joe Tippman. A team can never go wrong drafting OL from the Badgers. Per Sports Info Solutions, Tippman generated the 3rd-most yards before contact per attempt (2.6) on gap rush attempts. He also has a desirable size at 6-foot-6 with massive hands at 10 3/4 inches (97 percentile).
All in all, the Jets did the best that they could with the limited draft capital as a result of the Aaron Rodgers trade.
After losing out in the tackle market early, the Jets finally got OT help in Round 4 with Carter Warren. Warren boasts massive arm length (88th percentile) with a ton of playing experience at left tackle. He likely fell into Day 3 due to a season-ending injury last year that limited him to four games.
FINAL DRAFT GRADE: B
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